Category Archives: National Events

#YourVoteMatters

A Message from the AAUW Board of Directors

The AAUW National Board of Directors has voted to put three proposals for bylaws amendments before the membership for a vote this spring. In the voter guide you’ll read about proposed bylaws amendments that your AAUW Board of Directors strongly supports. We believe that passing these measures will help keep AAUW vital as an organization and enable us to increase our impact in advancing equity for all women and girls. Even though our elections have traditionally fallen in convention years, since the adoption of One Member One Vote, we can join organizations that vote annually as needed on important issues to the organization.

Read more – and vote – here. NOTE: you will need your AAUW member ID number and the voting PIN; check the special email from AAUW National to get these.

https://www.aauw.org/resource/national-election/

#Take3Steps

Today’s the day. April 10 marks Equal Pay Day, when women’s average earnings finally catch up to men’s earnings from the year before. With women’s average pay stalled at just 80 percent of men’s, today’s observance confirms what we already know: The gender pay gap is persistent and it’s pernicious.

I am so pleased to be a new member of the team here at AAUW taking on this fight. At our current rate of change the pay gap won’t close until 2119 — more than a century from now! We’re tired of waiting and we know that changes requires action. That’s why AAUW is tackling the gender pay gap from multiple angles including in-depth research, innovative programming, and strategic federal and state advocacy— but we can’t do it without you.

Here’s how you can do your part to fight for fair pay today:

1.	Join AAUW’s national day of action by calling your state legislators at 855.934.0729 and urging them to enact strong pay equity protections. Thousands of activists are making their voices heard today. When you use our toll-free phone line you’ll hear a simple call script before being connected directly to the office of your state senator.
2.	Learn more about AAUW’s new commitment to train 10 million women in salary negotiation programs by 2022 through the AAUW Work Smart program. Then share the announcement with your networks — you can help your community be the next to host a workshop to empower women with the skills and confidence they need to negotiate their salaries!
3.	Donate to support our life-changing work. Your gift keeps AAUW’s priorities in the forefront, providing new, exciting opportunities for women and girls to reach their full potential.

There’s no single solution to closing the gender pay gap. But by working together and addressing the problem on multiple fronts, we can create meaningful change for women, families, businesses, and the economy.

Thank you for raising your voice with the thousands of AAUW advocates across the country taking action today for equal pay!

Gratefully,

Deborah J. Vagins
Senior Vice President, Public Policy & Research

1310 L St. NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20005
advocacy@aauw.org

#LadyData

From PBS News Hour

Jan 20, 2018 11:29 AM EST

This Saturday, hundreds of thousands of activists will convene for the second iteration of the Women’s March, a massive event centered on women’s rights, along with racial equality, immigration and other social justice issues. Countless pink “pussy hats,” having lain dormant in closets since last January, will reemerge to color the streets of Washington, New York, and other cities across the country. This year, the march coincides with the so-called “me too” movement, a collective call to end sexual harassment, assault, and other behaviors that disproportionately harm women and corrode the pursuit of gender equality.

Read the article and see the data at:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/the-data-behind-the-womens-movement

#DressLikeAWoman

See how women reacted to the Trump administration’s dress code for female staff….

From Global Citizen:

“What does it mean to #DressLikeaWoman? After a report alleged that President Trump preferred women to “dress like women,” people are taking to social media to turn that hashtag on its head. ”

Why Merriam-Webster Picked ‘Feminism’ as Its 2017 Word of the Year

Read the full article at Fortune.com

AAUW Announces 2017–18 Awardees

November 16, 2017

Media Contact:
Amy Becker
beckera@aauw.org
202.785.7756

Nonprofit awards $3.7 million to 250 women and projects

WASHINGTON — The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has announced awards of $3.7 million to its 2017–18 class of fellows and grantees. These 250 recipients represent diverse backgrounds, locations, and areas of study but have one thing in common: They all aim to promote equity for women and girls.

“AAUW fellows and grantees have contributed to — and will continue to impact — so much of the world at large,” said Kim Churches, the chief executive officer of AAUW. “These trailblazers are breaking the mold in nontraditional fields and redefining what leadership and expertise look like. AAUW is proud to provide the critical resources necessary to help them excel in their chosen fields.”

AAUW is one of the world’s leading supporters of graduate women’s education, having awarded more than $100 million in fellowships, grants, and awards to 12,000 women and projects from more than 140 countries since 1888. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of scholarly excellence, quality and originality of project design, and active commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions, or fields of research.

AAUW fellowship funding helps women manage the growing burden of student debt, an issue that disproportionately affects women. Unique to AAUW’s program, funding may also be used to pay for expenses outside of those traditionally associated with academic study. Funding may be applied to such expenses as child care and transportation — necessities that can improve recipients’ retention and success in graduate programs.

“We are thrilled to have this year’s awardees join a 129-year legacy of notable alumnae,” said Gloria Blackwell, AAUW’s vice president of fellowships, grants, and global programs. “Recipients now join the ranks of past awardees including Nobel Prize-winning scientist Marie Curie, journalist Melissa Harris-Perry, Ph.D., and astronaut Judith Resnik, Ph.D., to name a few. These awards change lives and these scholars, they change the world.”

Applications opened August 1, 2017. Deadlines vary per program.

To find out more about this year’s exceptional class of awardees, visit AAUW’s online directory.

#GivingTuesday

Take Two Minutes to Double Your Impact and Celebrate AAUW’s Birthday: AAUW

November 09, 2017This year, #GivingTuesday is special. It falls on AAUW’s anniversary — Tuesday, November 28 — when we will celebrate 136 years of helping to level the playing field for women and girls. Beginning at 8 a.m. ET on November 28, donations made to AAUW through Facebook will be matched dollar for dollar by Facebook and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. You can help us make the most of this matching opportunity by taking two minutes to create a Facebook fundraiser on behalf of AAUW.